Dutch explorers landed in Western Australia in 1606 and 1616 but did nothing more than map the parts they discovered. Claims have been made by the Portuguese and the Chinese on earlier discovery.

In 1770 Captain James Cook mapped the east coast and took possession of the entire land mass for Great Britain.

In 1788 Arthur Phillip arrived with the First Fleet to set up a penal colony. A camp was set up and the flag raised at Sydney Cove, Port Jackson on the 26th January 1788, a date which became Australia's national day.